


What If? (Ritsu)

by nochick_fics



Series: What If? [4]
Category: Loveless
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 06:48:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15237741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nochick_fics/pseuds/nochick_fics
Summary: What if Ritsu had never allowed Soubi to join Seimei?





	What If? (Ritsu)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series of stories inspired by the old What If? comic books I used to like in which life-altering "what-if" scenarios are presented to various Loveless characters. None of the stories are related. Written in 2013.

After almost an hour of staring at the same sheet of paper sitting atop his desk, Ritsu raised his head and looked at the teen standing in front of the easel across the room, annoyed with himself for allowing the distraction… and even more annoyed with Soubi for being the cause of it. It was bad enough that Nagisa seemed hell-bent on interrupting him whenever she felt the urge to complain about something--which was often--and even more so since the day she discovered that Soubi no longer had his ears. But Ritsu never expected the boy to have this kind of an effect on his attention as well. And that Soubi did not even realize he had an influence on the older man, let alone  _so much_ , did very little to ease Ritsu’s irritation.  
  
Cold, calculating eyes regarded the blond head that was tilted slightly in concentration, a blond head that still looked bare without its ears. The claiming of Soubi’s physical innocence was merely a technicality by that point; his emotional innocence, the biggest weakness of all, had been lost years before, when a distraught child was taken under the wing of the man who would become his mentor. Equally agitated and mesmerized, Ritsu watched as Soubi painted, decorating the canvas with angry and bold swipes of purples and blues and looking so much like his mother that it made the former Sacrifice ache in ways he did not care to contemplate.  
  
It was that very same resemblance that prompted Ritsu to deny Beloved’s request. While the official reason was Soubi’s need for additional training, Ritsu knew deep in his twisted heart that the real reason he was reluctant to allow Seimei to take him had nothing at all to do with that. Soubi’s presence was vexing, eliciting in Ritsu overwhelming feelings of lust and hate and longing and nostalgia. Yet he could not bear the thought of relinquishing him to Seimei, or  _anyone_. At least not right now. He would not be able to keep Soubi bound to him forever, but he had every intention of holding onto him for a little while longer. Even if he did not care to admit the reason why.  
  
Ritsu stood up and crossed the room, coming to a stop behind Soubi and watching over his shoulder. The teen did not stop painting, nor did he acknowledge him, all in accordance with Ritsu’s training. Soubi would never speak unless spoken to, and he would never act unless commanded to do so. Ritsu had been  _extremely thorough_  with instilling that particular trait in the young Fighter.  
  
“You show tremendous defiance in your art, Soubi-kun.”  
  
Soubi froze, the hand that was holding the brush paused in mid-air. After a moment, he lowered his hand and waited for further instruction. Ritsu could tell by the tensing in the boy’s shoulders that he was anticipating punishment, as well.  
  
And that pleased him more than it should.  
  
“It was not my intention to show defiance, Sensei,” Soubi said quietly.  
  
Ritsu nodded in agreement, even though Soubi could not see him do so. “Perhaps not consciously,” he pointed out. “But the fact remains that there seems to be a part of you that wishes to lash out. Your very response is indicative of this.”  
  
He slowly removed his belt.  
  
“A Fighter is to demonstrate no will of his own,” Ritsu continued as he placed his free hand on Soubi’s shoulder and turned him around, studying the downturned head before him. “A Fighter must yield to his Sacrifice in  _all_  aspects of his existence. Even leisure. Do you understand, Soubi-kun?”  
  
“Yes, Sensei.”  
  
Ritsu’s smile was cruel. And victorious.  
  
“Good,” he said, his fingers tightening around the belt. “Now take off your shirt.”  
  
Soubi closed his eyes and did as he was told.  
  
The very next day, he began painting butterflies.  
  
*****  
  
After Ritsu turned Seimei away, the teen had located his rightful partner and together, they dominated every other team that the Academy had ever produced, including Nagisa’s precious Zero. The name Beloved was spoken in hushed tones of fear and awe throughout the Academy and word of Seimei and Nisei’s sadistic battle techniques became legend.  
  
Now, four years later, it seemed that there was good reason to believe that Beloved was planning to attack Septimal Moon in an effort to do away with the laws that confined them. Some members of the organization were unnerved by this development, and with good reason. Because as it stood now, there was no one strong enough to stop the Aoyagi boy.  
  
Except for another Aoyagi.  
  
Ritsuka Aoyagi. Loveless.  
  
Soubi’s new Sacrifice. Soubi’s new name.  
  
Ritsu stared at the man in front of the easel, studying him with an expression of thoughtful reflection that was far removed from his spite of old.  Gone was the whining, crying child he encountered fifteen years ago. At twenty-one, Soubi was taller, his hair spilling over his shoulders and his eyes accentuated by delicate round frames. There were no traces of willpower to be found, no sense of self. He was the perfect Fighter now, powerful and, most importantly, obedient.  
  
Indeed, Ritsu had trained Soubi very well.  
  
And now the time had finally come to let him go.


End file.
